Receptacle.



C. W. HEADLEY.

RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l5. ms.

Patented June 26, 1917.

I (load Wf'fewdey,

CARL W. I-IEADLEY, 0F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

RECEPTAGLE.

Application filed April 15, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL WV. HnADLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacles, of which the following is a specification, ref? erence being had therein to the accompany ing drawing.

My invention relates to receptacles.

The object of my invention is to provide a receptacle for transporting and handling bottles or similar articles. It is a further object to furnish a receptacle or crate ad justable to any size bottle. It is another object to provide a crate which can, when not in use, be readily nested with other crates of like kind for ease in handling, storage, or return shipment. It is a still further ob ject to provide a strong, durable, cheap and light construction.

My crate is particularly useful in the manufacture of beverages of various kinds put up in glass bottles and similar containers. It has been the practice for such bottles to be loaded on cars inbulk when shipped from the manufacturer of thebottles to the manufacturer of the beverages Where the bottles were filled. It has been the custom of the bottle manufacturers to pile the bottles in bins in the factory, then transfer the bottles from the bins to cars when needed for shipment, and then to transfer the bottles from the cars to the manufacturer of beverages when they arrive at their destination, thus necessitating a large number of individual handlings of expensive and laborious kinds of articles difficult of rapid and safe removal from place to place.

My invention eliminates these multiple handlings by providing a receptacle into which the bottles can be immediately put upon the completion of their manufacture. The bottles are thus delivered in this receptacle to the manufacturer of beverages Specification of Letters Patent.

engagement of the parts.

Patented June 26, 1917.

Serial No. 91,267.

physical embodiment of it of a low cost of construction, and adjustable to varying requirements, light weight, simplicity and strength.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my receptacle showing the same expanded and loaded with bottles; Fig. 2 is an end view showing the same empty and contracted to return to the manufacturer; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the receptacle is composed of flexible U- shaped end members 1, of wire. The body portion of the receptacle comprises a bottom 2 and side portions 3 composed of flexible wire netting, substantially as shown. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is capable of embodiment by utilizing other material, such as flexible fabric, which is light and durable, instead of the netting shown.

Each of the longitudinally extending edges 5 of the sides 3 is provided with reinforcing strips 4L. In this particular instance each edge of the netting is clamped between two strips, the netting adjacent the ends of the strips being additionally fastened to a strip by means of staples 6, the strips being fastened together by any suitable fastening means, such as the pins 7. The portion of the netting between the strips is coated with rosin to insure a better The strips may be of any material which serves to prevent the light material used in the body portion from collapsing or buckling and scattering the contents. The position of these longitudinally extending strips may be varied and they may be placed at different locations upon the body portion of the receptacle.

It will be noticed that the strips fastened to one edge are entirely independent of the strips fastened to the other edge,

whereby the transverse distance between the same may be adjusted to accommodate the receptacle to different conditions. It will be seen that by my construction I have provided a body portion which is very flexible and is adjustable to various extents.

I have also provided extensible ends for the receptacle. Each end comprises elements 8 fixed at their outer ends to the vertical portions of the member 1 and having sliding engagement with each other at their adjacent ends. In the embodiment of the invention here shown each element comprises a wire bent into U-shaped form, the ends thereof being attached to a vertical portion of the member 1, as indicated at 9. The

. angles of each U-shaped element are bent to form loops, as indicated at 10, the horizontally extending portions of one element extending through the loops of the other element and having sliding engagement there with. To limit the extensibility of the cooperating elements I have provided a. member 11 attached at one end, 12, to a vertical portion of the member 1 and provided at its opposite end 13 with a hook to engage the transverse portion of one of the elements. I have also provided each end with a flexible loop of wire 14 having looped end portions 15 which slidably engage parts of the elements 8. The intermediate portion of the loop 1 1 is attached to the bottom portion of the member 1. as shown at 16. To hold this loop in proper position transversely thereof I have also provided a pair of members 17 provided with looped portions 18 and 19 at their opposite ends which engage the vertical portions of the member 1 and the sides of the loop 1e, respectively. The engagement of the hooked portions 18 and 19 with their respective parts is more or less loose to allow their adjustment as the loop is bent during the adjustment of the receptacle. The particular construction above described providesa space whereby a bottle near the bottom of the receptacle may be removed if so desired.

Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, show the manner in which the loop accommodates itself to the various adjustments of the receptacle.

As a further reinforcement for the ends I have also provided rigid end pieces or frames of substantially rectangular formation, each frame comprising vertical bars 20 and trans verse bars 21. The vertical bars are preferably made of wood, while the transverse bars are preferably made of cardboard. When the bottles are being stored in the receptacle these reinforcing frames are supported in position substantially as shown in the figures. When the receptacle is empty they can fall and lie upon the bottom thereof. The lower ends of these frames may, however, if so desired, be permanently fastened to the bottom.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a receptacle which is characterized by'low cost of construction, while possessing a high degree of durability. The receptacle can be adjusted'to hold articles of various lengths and kinds and several of the receptacles can be easily nested one Within the other on account of the flexibility and adjustability thereof. I

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it will be understood that this has been chosen for the purposes of illustration only, and that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a receptacle, a flexible body portion comprising a flexible bottom and sides adapted to be flexed and adjusted to articles of various widths, the upper edges of said sides being separated and forming an opening, and end members connecting the sides for holding the same in their various adj ustments.

2. In a receptacle, a flexible body portion comprising a flexible bottom and sides adapted to be flexed and adjusted whereby articles of various widths may be laid therein, the upper edges of said sides being separated, forming an opening and provided with separate reinforcing strips, and end members connecting said sides for holding the same in their various adjustments.

3. In a receptacle, a flexible body portion comprising flexible bottom and sides adapted to be flexed and adjusted to articles of various widths, the upper edges of said sides being separated, forming an opening and provided with reinforcing strips, and members connecting said sides for holding the same in their various adjustments, and rigid reinforcing pieces at the ends of said receptacle.

4. In a receptacle, a flexible body portion of wire netting comprising flexible bottom and sides adapted to be flexed and adjusted to articles of various widths, and wire connecting the sides at the ends for adjustably holding the same.

5. In a receptacle, a flexible body portion of wire netting comprising a flexible bottom and sides adapted to be flexed and adjusted to articles of various widths, reinforcing strips on the upper edges of said body, wire connecting the sides at the ends for adjustably holding the same and rigid reinforcing pieces at the ends of said receptacle.

6. In a receptacle, a body portion of flexible material, the edges of said body portion being provided with reinforcing means, and adjustable ends, said ends comprising cooperating elements having sliding engage ment with each other.

7. In a receptacle, a body portion of flexible material, said body portion being provided at its longitudinal edges with reinforcing strips, extensible ends for said recep the body portion of said frame and having sliding engagement at their adjacent ends with each other.

9. In a receptacle, a flexible body portion, extensible ends for said body portion, each end comprising a flexible loop.

10. In a receptacle, a body portion of flexible material, adjustable ends, each end comprising a pair of U-shaped elements fastened at their ends to the body portion and having sliding engagement With each other, and a detent for holding said receptacle in adjusted position.

11. In a receptacle, a body portion of flexible Wire netting, reinforcing strips extending longitudinally of the upper edges of said body portion and secured thereto, the strips of one edge being separate from the strips of the other, extensible ends, each comprising U-shaped elements fastened at their ends to the body portion and having sliding engagement With each other, each end also being provided with a flexible 100p having its ends attached to the U-shaped elements and its intermediate portion attached to the flexible body portion, and supplemental frames for said ends.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CARL W. HEADLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for'five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

